Ironing machine



May 1, 192s. 1,667,774

F. DEWHURST IRNING MACHINE Filed Oct. 25. 1926 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 May l, 1928.

F. IDEWHURST` IRONING MACHINE Filed Oct. 25, 1926 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 May1,1928. A 1,667,774

F. DEWHURST IRONING MACHINE V Filed Oct. 25. 192 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 YMaly 1. 192s. 1,667,774

F. DEWHURST IRONING MACHINE Filed Oct. 25. 192 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Inval/Huh Patented May l, 1928.

UNlTaosTATEs PATENT y OFFICE.

rmx DEWHUBST, or rE'TEnBoRoUGH, ENGLAND, AssrGNoR 'ro BAKER PERKINS a LIMITED, 0F PETERBOROUGH, ENGLAND IRONING MACHINE.

Application led October 25, 1926, Serial No. 144,051, and in Great Britain' Decemberi22, 1925.

This invention relates to ironing machines of the type including an endless travelling band or conveyor or conveyors with means for guiding or controlling the same to maintain a straight line motion. The saidmeans normally comprise a guide roller vextending across the conveyor, having a joint or pivot at one end and its other end adapted for automatic movement,` under the control of fork like members contacting with opposite sides or edges of -the conveyor, to vary the angularposition of the said roller relatively to the conveyor` `as maybe necessary to keep the latter in the `required `path or direction.

This invention has for vits Object to prof vide a more sensitive and effective automatic angular adjustment ofthe said guide roller or the like, with theA avoidance of any distortion or puckering ofthe conveyor.

The invention comprises the combination with the said `roller of means forI the automatic adjustment of its angularity, comprising a cylinder to `which an operating fluid j (air, steam Vor Water) is admittedv and discharged under the control of a valve or itsv equivalent automatically actuated by the fork `or like control members disposed at the opposite sides of the conveyor.

Referring to the four accompanying sheets of explanatory drawings Figure l is an elevation showing in ontline for diagrammatic form anironing machine provided with a guide rollers. A

Figure Q'is a plan view showing the ar rangement of one such roller in relation to the travelling bands or conveyor with which pair-'of the improved `it is employed.

F igure is an elevation, and Figure 7 an end vievsr showing the arrangement of parts for the automatic o eration ofv the valve or the like controlling 't e admission of the fluid to and its discharge freinthe cylinder.

Figure 8 is atrend view showing A'to a larger scale the valve aforesaid, Figure 9 a the other of.

F gure 3 is a sectional elevation and F ig- Yt e dotted line z' at Figures 2 and 4) fstorelthe straight line or normal direction section of such valve taken at right an les or rod c extending through the cylinder, but yWhereas the piston is fixed on said rod the cylinder 1s free to slide thereon, being provided with glands or packing leathers d or i the likeat both ends. The cylinder is arranged in connection with one .end of the conveyor guide roller e and thus the reciproeating movements of the cylinder will be imparted to the saidend.

The fluid for the operation of the cylinder I a may be steam, air or water under suitable pressure from any available source, which, by .way of pipes or tubes as f and g, is ad mitted to and Withdrawn from the o sides ofthe fixed piston under the control of a valve actuated by fork or like members disposed at the opposite sides of the con# veyor as z (Figure 2) in the manner hereinafter described. lVhilst such conveyor h maintains its normal path or direction of travel the valve will be in its neutral or closed position; But when the conveyor tends to defiect or to partake of a lateral movement a pressure is imposed on one or the fork like members such as will actuate the valve in a direccion to cause the fluid toimpose an unbalanced pressure on `the onesideor the other of thexed pis ton 'b within the cylinder a and so movethe cylinder in the direction the axis of the guide roller e to give the reuired angularity (such as is indicated by to reof movement of the conveyor h.

:The machine as illustrated by and 2 has the usualseries of felt covered `rolls as j mounted above the heated beds k.

Thesheets, blankets or other goods or ar- Y ticles of large size or supericia-l, and such as Vcan be readily ironed inthe machine, areadmitted at the end Z and after travelling along `the topof the wavy upper surface of the beds" Presi@ necessary to adjust Figures 1A 7c under the action of the rolls j are returned by the conveyor m back to the end Z of the machine. During such movement (which is indicated by the arrows n at Figure l) the goods or articles are pressed between the said conveyor m and the underside or surface of the bed 7o. Arriving at the feed end Z of the machine the goods are again carried to the opposite end between and by the action of the two conveyors m and It and are linally discharged from the machine at 0.

The aforesaid arrangement and combination of rolls j and conveyors Il, and m, whereby the goods or articles are carried three times through the machine is a known arrangement i'rom combination of parts, this invention being concerned with the application thereto of the improved means for the automatic adjustment of the guide rollers for the conveyors as it and m.

A guide roller e with cylinder o and associated parts as aforesaid employed with each of the conveyors it and m. The positions of such rollers in relation to the respective conveyors are indicated at Figure '1. In the example illustrated, the cylinders are actuated by air pressure which obtained through the operation of an exhausting pump p, a connection between the pipes f and g of each cylinder and the pump being established by means of valves or air boxes as g. Such valves or air boxes are preferably of the construction shown in the views of one of them at Figures 8, 9 and 10, and comprise a lever r of which the boss like portion a slides between the faces of the fixed plates t. One of the said plates has attached to it the fiexible pipes f, g connecting with the cylinder a as aforesaid, whilst the flexible pipe u connecting with the pump p is attached to the said boss .5' as shown and moved therewith when the lever moves. When the lever is in its mid position the exhaust pump p is not in communication with either of the pipes f and g and atmospheric air can obtain access to both of them as indicated by the arrows o at Figure 10. But when the lever r is moved to either side of its central positiony (in the manner hereinafter described) one or the other of the pipes f, g is put into communication withthe exhausting pump or exhauster p and thus the air is withdrawn from such pipe and the side or end of the cylinder a with which it is connected. The atmospheric pressure at the opposite end of the cylinder then causes the latter to move, relatively to its fixed piston f, and in such movement to carry with it the end bearing 'w of the guide roller c and thus cause the latter to take up an inclined or angular position, such, for example, as is indicated by the dotted line z' at Figures 2 and 4f. The said end bearing w is in pivotal connection with one end of the cylinder a, as is shown at Figures 3, 4 and 5, and as the opposite end bearing a: is likewise in pivotal connection with its support, the said bearings can accommodate or adjust themselves to the changes in the position of the roller c brought about by the movement of the cylinder a.

The positions on the machine of the fork like members y/ and parts associated therewith for the automatic actuation of the valves are indicated at Figure l and the said members and associated parts are shown at Figures t3 and 7. l.Each pair of fork members v/ are disposed on opposite sides of a conveyor /t or flu, (at Figure T the conveyor /z/ is shown) and are supported on a rod e suspended between the lower ends of the valve lever fr aforesaid and the lever The lever 2 is supported on bracket 3 projecting from a part of the machine fralning whilst lever fr and also the parts associated therewith (as shown at Figures S, t) and l0) are supported on a similar bracket 4. When either of the conveyors it and fm, become laterally deflected or creep, as for example in the direction of the arrow G shown at Figure Q in respect to the conveyor h, the pressure of the edge of the conveyor against one of the forks (y) will move the valve lever r to such kposition as will put one end of the cylinder into communication with the exhausting pump, or exhauster y), with the result that the atmospheric pressure at the opposite end of the cylinder will so more the latter as to cause the guide roller e to take up an angular position, such as is shown at Figure 2, which will cause the conveyor to return or creep back in the direction of the arrow 5; its normal or straight, line course will be thus restored. In so returning to the normal course the opposite edge of the conveyor will press against the other fork (ya) and thus actuate the lever r to return the same to its mid-position at which atmospheric air obtains access to both ends of the cylinder.

A set of pipes f, g and u with valve o air box at q, is employed in connection with each of the cylinders o and guide rollers e, but the two sets are arranged in connection with the one air exhausting pump or exhauster p as illustrated at Figure l. The said pump or exhauster p may be of any well known type and in order that it may be kept continually in motion, in any position of the valve lever r of the valves or air boxes at g, a relief valve or outlet may be provided at 7.

Instead of employing a pump y) adapted to exhaust the air from the respective sides of the cylinder as aforesaid, a pump may be employed to increase the pressure of the operating Huid at either side or end of the cylinders a when an adjusting movement of the guide rollers is to be effected as aforesaid. Each cylinder and its contained piston may be arranged in such a manner as to provide for a sliding movement of the piston relatively to t-he cylinder and other modifications may be made in the application of the invention to meet varying conditions o1' requirements.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is f y l. In ironing machines having an endless conveyor and a` pivotally mounted guide roller for said conveyor', the combination comprising a sliding cylinder, a iixed rod ex# tending through said cylinder and forming a support therefor, a connection between the cylinder and one end-of said guide roller, a piston within the cylinder said piston being fixed on said rod, ports in the wall of the cylinder on opposite sides of the piston, conduits for the flow of motive fluid to and from said ports, means for producing said flow, a valve controlling said flow, means for actuating said valve from said conveyor, and connections between said valve and said conduits and flow producingmeans.

2. In ironing machines having an endless conveyor .and a pivotally mounted guide roller for said conveyor, the combination comprising a sliding cylinder, a fixed rod extending through said cylinder and forming a support therefor, a connection between the cylinder and one end of said guide roller, a piston within the cylinder said piston being fixed on'said rod, ports in the wall of' the cylinder on opposite sides of the piston, .conduits for the flow of motive fluid to and from said' ports, means for producingsaid flow, a valve controlling said flow saidvalve including a pair of fixed plates connected with said conduits and a member sliding between said plates and connected with the flow producing means, and means for actuating said sliding member from said conveyor. V

3. In ironing machines having an endless conveyor and a pivotally mounted guide roller for said conveyor, the combination comprising a sliding cylinder, a lixed rod extending through said cylinder and forming a support therefor, a connection between the cylinder and one end of said guide roller, a piston within the cylinder said piston being fixed on said rod, ports in the wall of the `cylinderon opposite sides of the piston, a pump and a valve controlling the flow between said pump and said ports said valve including a pair of fixed plates with conduits between same and saidL ports and a member sliding between said plates and connected with said pump, and means for actuating said sliding member from said conveyor.

4. In ironing machines having an endless conveyor and a. pivotally mounted guide roller for said conveyor, the combination .comprising a sliding cylinder, a fixed rod extending through said cylinder and forming a sup ort therefor, a connection between the cylinder and one end of said guide roller, a piston within the cylinder said piston being fixed on said rod, ports in the wall of the cylinder on opposite sides of the piston, a pump, a valve controlling the flow between said pump and said ports said valve including a pair of iixed plates, with conduits between same and said ports, and a member sliding between said plates and connected with said pump, and means for actuating said sliding member from the lateral deflecting movements of the said conveyor.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

FRANK DEWHURST. 

